Objective To investigate the optimization and health management of selection criteria in naval flying cadets by analyzing the disease spectrum in physical examination for transition.Methods The disease types and physical examination conclusions of 276 naval flying cadets who were checked in the Naval Medical Center for transition physical examination were retrospectively analyzed,and the composition ratios of diseases were calculated.Results All 276 flying cadets were male,aged 19-22 years,with the average age of(20.8±1.6)years.The top 3 detected diseases were spinal and knee diseases[197 cases(71.38%)],thyroid diseases[118 cases(42.75%)]and digestive system diseases[102 cases(36.96%)].There was significant difference in the detection rates of 9 systemic diseases(χ2=529.09,P<0.001),and the detection rate of spinal and knee diseases was higher than that of other systemic diseases(χ2=46.15-225.85,all P<0.001).There were 4 cases(1.45%,1 case each of ametropia,second-degree type Ⅱ atrioventricular block,arachnoid cyst and pituitary tumor)of flying cadets unqualified for flight and 29 cases(10.51%,8 cases of arachnoid cysts,5 cases of arrhythmias,4 cases of disqualified psychological tests,3 cases of cerebral ischemic foci,2 cases each of myocarditis,pulmonary bullae,and ametropia,and 1 case each of short-neck deformity,patent foramen ovale,and cervical neurilemmoma)unqualified for the transition of high-performance fighter aircraft.Conclusions In the selection of flying cadets,high attention should be paid to the diseases with high detection rates and may lead to grounding.The management of life and training styles during the training period should be strengthened and the early warning indicators for relevant diseases that may induce air incapacitation,the aeromedical assessment and selection standards should be refined to ensure that high-quality naval pilots are trained.